FE week is calling on the Government to deliver three key policy changes:

1. Introduce FE maintenance grant loans for adult learners, which would make retraining possible for many more older people, by helping cover their living costs while studying, something that is already available to mature students in higher education.

Speaking at the event, Ruth Spellman, CEO of the WEA, highlighted the need for a national lifelong learning strategy and a joined up approach to learning provision.

Sue Pember, Director at Holex made the case for lifelong learning as an infrastructure investment: “We know as educators that it works. It improves not just productivity, it helps to improve health...We need a proper cross-government adult education strategy that lasts 20 years.”